Motor starting apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for starting internal combustion engines of the type used on lawnmowers, snowblowers, and the like. The apparatus includes a cup-shaped driven member of tubular configuration adapted to be connected to the drive shaft of an engine. The upper edge of the driven member has diametrically opposed, inwardly extending recesses. A drive member having a shank for receipt in a power-driven chuck and a transversely extending end portion for engaging the recesses. The driven and driving members are arranged to provide smooth engagement and disengagement with no &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;kick-back.

United States Patent DAnibrosio Feb. 29, 1972 [541 MOTOR STARTINGAPPARATUS 2,901,911 9/1959 Duncan ..123/179 SE X 2,932,292 4/1960Trotter et al. ..123/179 SE [72] Invent gig Et a 31221 2253 3,040,8546/1962 Rauh ...123/179 SE x 3,437,083 4/1969 l-lamman ..123/179 SE [22]Filed: June 12, 1970 Primary ExaminerAl Lawrence Smith [2!] App! 45788Attorney-Fay, Sharpe and Mulholland [52] 0.8. CI ..123/179 SE ABSTRACT52 12 4 32 An apparatus for starting internal combustion engines of thele arc 74/55 64/3 28 type used on lawnmowers, snowblowers, and the like.The apparatus includes a cup-shaped driven member of tubularconfiguration adapted to be connected to the drive shaft of an en- [56]References cued gine. The upper edge of the driven member hasdiametrically UNITED STATES PATENTS opposed, inwardly extendingrecesses. A drive member having a shank for receipt in a power-drivenchuck and a transversely 1,630,595 5/1927 Babcock ..123/185 S extcndingend portion f engaging the receges The driven Delaney X and members arearranged to rovide mooth engage. 2,093,965 9/ 1937 Hodges ..123/ 185 Smem and disengagement with no kickbackfl 2,731,006 1/1956 Hensel......123/179 SE 2,816,535 12/1957 1 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Sells 123/179SE PATENTEDFEB29 I912 3.645.247

l ll ll INVENTOR- 42 42 PETE R. DAMBROSIOY MOTOR STARTING APPARATUS Thepresent invention is directed toward the art of internal combustionengines and, more particularly, to an apparatus for facilitating thestarting of such engines.

The invention is particularly suited for starting small, two and fourcycle gasoline engines of the type used on power lawnmowers,snowblowers, and the like, and will be described with particularreference thereto; however, it will be appreciated the invention iscapable of broader application and could be adapted for starting manytypes and sizes of engines without regard to their use.

The engines on power lawnmowers and similar devices are generallystarted through the use of a rewind rope or a spring actuated recoilstarting unit. As everyone knows, it is often difficult and timeconsuming to start the engines by use of the rewind ropes. In fact, manytimes women and the elderly cannot pull the ropes with sufficient forceto start the engines. In cold weather the starting problems are evenmore severe.

Although spring wound types of recoil starting units are an improvementover the rewind rope, they are still difficult and time consuming touse. Additionally, they are subject to frequent malfunction andbreakage. The repair or replacement cost on the units tends to berelatively high.

The present invention provides an apparatus which overcomes the aboveproblems arrd permits starting to be accomplished rapidly and easily.Use of the apparatus requires substantially no manual effort.Consequently, women and persons who are not particularly strong canreadily start such engines. The use of the inventive apparatus isespecially advantageous on snowblowers and similar equipment used incold weather where starting is especially difficult.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is the provision of anapparatus whereby a conventional electric hand drill can be adapted forstarting small gasoline engines.

A further object of the invention is the provision of apparatus of thetype described which is safe and simple to use.

Yet another object is the provision of a device of the kind referred toabove which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Still another object is the provision of a starting device for internalcombustion engines which can be used as a replacement for recoilstarting units.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus ofthe type described which is sized and arranged to avoid kick-back.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a conventional two-cycle engine providedwith a starting apparatus formed in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device showing it with the parts inmated engagement;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the driving element which is mounted inthe drill chuck; and

FIG. 5 is a view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

Referring in particular to FIG. 1 the apparatus as shown used on aconventional rotary power mower of the type having a two cycle internalcombustion engine 12 which is mounted with its drive shaft extendingvertically. Normally this type of engine is provided with startingmechanisms in the form of rewind rope starters or the spring actuatedrecoil units. As discussed previously, both of these type units aresomewhat unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons.

In accordance with the present invention the starting assembly isarranged so that the starting impulse is produced by a standard electrichand drill for example a /4-inch type having a three ampere, 1,000 rpm.motor. According to the invention the apparatus is arranged so that oneelement is directly connected to the drive shaft of the motor and asecond element is releasably engageable with the first element and isadapted for mounting within the chuck of the drill. The

second element is moved into driving engagement with the first elementand the drill actuated causing rapid rotation of the motor to cause itto start.

The first or driven element 14 is directly connected to the upwardlyextending drive shaft in any convenient manner. Generally, the upper endof the motor drive shaft is threaded such as shown at 16 in FIG. 2. Thedriven element 14 is connected thereto through the use of a large nut18. Motors supplied with the standard recoil and rewind units areprovided with a threaded drive shaft. Thus, the subject device isarranged so that it can readily replace units of the type discussed.

Referring in particular to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the firstmember 14 comprises a cup-shaped tubular body portion 20 which is formedfrom steel tubing having an outer diameter D of approximately 1% inchesand an inner diameter of approximately l'r inches. The lower end of thetubular section 20 is closed by a washer member 22 which is brazed orotherwise connected to the lower peripheral edge of member 20. Thisallows the member 20 to be connected to shaft 16 by the nut 18. Notethat the normal spring washer 24 which is standard with prior startingdevices bears against the bottom wall of the member 20. With the nutfirmly connected, rotation of member 20 causes the drive shaft to berotated for starting purposes.

The upper end of member 20 is open and is provided with a pair ofdiagonally opposite recess portions 26 which are adapted to be engagedby the second or driving member 28 which is fitted within the electricdrill chuck. The portions 26 can best be seen in FIG. 2. Note that theyeach include a vertically downwardly extending face or cutout portion 30and a portion 32 which tapers downwardly from the upper edge of member20 with the contour shown in FIG. 2.

The driving member 28 is arranged so as to be receivable in the openupper end of member 20 and to engage the cutout portions 26 forreleasably driving the member 20 when the drill is actuated. The member28 includes a vertically extending drive shaft portion 36 which is of adiameter for being received in the chuck of the drill. Depending uponthe diameter of the drill used, the diameter of the member 28 could varyhowever, a [1-inch diameter portion permits the device to be used in astandard Kr-inch drill which most home owners have. At the lower end ofthe /4-inch shaft 36 there is connected, such as by welding, atransversely extending rectangular bar 38 which is preferablyapproximately %-inch square. The outer ends of the portion 38 arerounded as shown at 40 in FIG. 5 so as to be of approximately the samecurvature as the inner surface of member 20. Centrally positioned in theend faces 40 are short outwardly extending round engaging members orpins 42 which, in the embodiment under consideration, are short sectionsof lA-inch rod received in openings drilled in the end of the faces 20and welded or brazed therein. The members 42 extend outwardly a distanceslightly greater than the thickness of the wall of member 20.

With the member 28 positioned in the drill it can be received in themember 20 as shown in FIG. 2. Actuation of the drill thus causes themembers 42 to drivingly engage the vertical face 30 of the cutoutportion 26. As the motor rotates and finally starts, the inclinedportion 32, in efiect, drives under the outwardly extending member 42and permits the drill and member 28 to be smoothly withdrawn with nokickback or catching. Preferably the diameter D is at least I andyginch, and preferably between at least I to 2 inches. This pennits a[1-inch drill of three a. capacity to start most engines up toapproximately four horsepower. If a larger engine is to be started alarger drill would normally be required.

The apparatus described is extremely simple and safe to use and permitsdifficult starting problems to be avoided. Additionally, it allows easystarting of engines in cold weather and by persons of relatively slightphysical stature. Because of the arrangement of mating parts 14 and 28the device has no kickback and does not require any special attachmentsor the like.

The apparatus has been described in great detail sufficient I to anyoneof ordinary skill in the art to make and use the same. Obviously,modifications and alterations of the preferred embodiment will occur toothers upon a reading and understanding of the specification and it ismy intention to include all such modifications and alterations as partof my invention insofar as they come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A starter attachment for use with internal combustion engines havinga rotatable drive shaft which extends outwardly of the engine housing,said starter attachment including:

a cup-shaped driven member having a hollow cylindrical tubular bodyportion having a diameter in the range of 1% to 2 inches terminating inan open outer end and a closed inner end, the outer end havingdiagonally opposite inwardly extending recesses formed in its outerperiphery, each said recess having a gradually inclined face and a facewhich extends substantially vertically to the outer end;

the closed inner end having an opening which is axial of the bodyportion and sized to receive the rotatable drive shaft and a nut memberto rigidly connect the driven member to the drive shaft;

a driving member having a cylindrical shaft for axial engagement atoneend in the chuck of a power-driven drill, the opposite end having a pairof relatively narrow radially extending portions which each extendoutwardly from the axis of the cylindrical shaft in opposite directionsan amount substantially equal to the radius of the inner wall of thetubular body portion, the outer end faces of the radially extendingportions being rounded to be somewhat spherical with a radiussubstantially equal to the radius of the inner wall of the tubular body,pin members extending outwardly from said outer end faces for engagementwith the recesses in the tubular body portion.

1. A starter attachment for use with internal combustion engines havinga rotatable drive shaft which extends outwardly of the engine housing,said starter attachment including: a cup-shaped driven member having ahollow cylindrical tubular body portion having a diameter in the rangeof 1 1/4 to 2 inches terminating in an open outer end and a closed innerend, the outer end having diagonally opposite inwardly extendingrecesses formed in its outer periphery, each said recess having agradually inclined face and a face which extends substantiallyvertically to the outer end; the closed inner end having an openingwhich is axial of the body portion and sized to receive the rotatabledrive shaft and a nut member to rigidly connect the driven member to thedrive shaft; a driving member having a cylindrical shaft for axialengagement at one end in the chuck of a power-driven drill, the oppositeend having a pair of relatively narrow radially extending portions whicheach extend outwardly from the axis of the cylindrical shaft in oppositedirections an amount substantially equal to the radius of the inner wallof the tubular body portion, the outer end faces of the radiallyextending portions being rounded to be somewhat spherical with a radiussubstantially equal to the radius of the inner wall of the tubular body,pin members extending outwardly from said outer end faces for engagementwith the recesses in the tubular body portion.